Explore local stores for kids’ treasures

In addition to parks and playgrounds, museums and yogurt shops, some of our favorite family outings involve shopping at kid stores. It reminds me of being a kid, exploring each aisle, finding treasures and treats.

It’s a refreshing break from buying everything online — you never know what you’ll find on the shelves, what you’ll discover in the glass jars when checking out, or what your kiddos will treasure and beg you to buy.

Our family loves making an event of it: We do a little shopping and have lunch or ice cream at a nearby favorite place, and it makes for a really wonderful weekend afternoon.

It makes me feel good to pick out special, unique gifts for birthdays and holidays (stocking stuffers), and it makes me feel even better to know that we’re supporting local stores.

Local stores also tend to curate their products and carry high-quality items. My husband and I are drawn to beautifully crafted toys that are simple and long-lasting. (We don’t go in for the plastic, battery-draining noisemakers — life is short enough.)

As designers/illustrators, we can’t resist adding new picture books to our collection, so Froggies, Peek and Barnes & Noble are great. Here are few of my favorite shops, which carry everything from candies and toys to books and well-made clothing for kids.

Little Bean: This was the very first store to carry our Bee Things prints and lunch sacks, so it’s close to my heart. Little Bean is a kids boutique in the Junius Heights neighborhood of East Dallas, and they carry all kinds of locally and internationally made toys, art and clothing for your little ones. You can find brands like Rubbabu, Eco Dough and Winter Water Factory.

Details: 5308 Junius St., Dallas, 214-370-9111. littlebeanshop.com.

Froggies 5 & 10: Froggies is a retro toy paradise. If there is something you remember from your childhood, Froggies is likely to carry it. This is one of my favorite places to get a gift for friends and family members, whether it’s for a white elephant party or child’s birthday. And it’s one of the only places in town to find vintage-brand candies (Beemans gum, Necco wafers and McCraw’s taffy, to name a few). Make an afternoon of it — grab a hot dog and a yummy frozen custard from Wild About Harry’s just down the street after you browse the store.

Details: 3211 Knox St., Dallas, 214-522-5867. froggies5and10.com.

Baby Bliss: To me, this is one of the best places for a baby registry in Dallas. It carries a beautiful and modern assortment of strollers, baby furniture, diaper bags, highchairs, toys, gliders and car seats from brands such as Dwell Studio, Oeuf, Tea Collection, Skip Hop and Maclaren. Some brands are on the pricey side, but the curated collection of fantastic products is worth it to me. The University Park location has a sister store, MiniMe, right next door.

Whole Earth Provision Co.: I like Whole Earth Provision Co. because there is something for everyone — fun, eclectic items; a large shoe selection for adults and kids with brands like Teva, Toms and Reef; high-quality wooden toys by Melissa & Doug; outdoor gear; educational toys; and a ton of great picture books. My boys spend time playing with the dozens of wind-up toys while I’m shopping.

Learning Express: This is the place for a great mix of educational toys, games and classic toys. They carry brands such as Lego, Playmobil, Alex, Learning Resources and Toysmith. Although this company is a franchise, Learning Express is known for its knowledgeable staff and great customer service. If you need to get a birthday present on the way to the party, don’t fret — they have free gift wrapping. Check out their blog for weekly top toys. This week’s is light helmets.

Peek …: This San Francisco-based chain has it all — wonderfully designed clothes for both boys and girls, sizes 0-3 months to 12 years (including some super- soft graphic tees), and creative books and toys. Every year I buy my boys a pair of their jeans, which are well made, comfy and cool. When they were babies they practically lived in their Little Peanut Happy Pants! Your kids will love shopping there, too. They can help themselves to free goodies in big glass candy jars — little plastic dinosaurs, bouncy balls and cool graphic buttons. It’s amazing how much time we can spend in such a small store.

To post a comment, log into your chosen social network and then add your comment below. Your comments are subject to our Terms of Service and the privacy policy and terms of service of your social network. If you do not want to comment with a social network, please consider writing a letter to the editor.

About The Creative Life

Shay Ometz is an East Dallas designer, wife and mom to two young boys. She and husband Jeff Barfoot are the co-founders of Bee Things, fun art prints and things for the home. Follow her at shayometz.blogspot.com.